


Collision

by RedDice



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Also Masaomi and his group all have abilities, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Anri is also a badass, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Group warfare, Human Experimentation, M/M, Manipulation, Manipulative Mikado, Masaomi is a badass, Most characters will be badass, Multi, Mystery, Rating May Change, Violence, bosskado
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-07-10 07:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6972250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedDice/pseuds/RedDice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In short, An au where the durarara trio not only aren't friends but are at odds with one another. Or alternatively</p><p>One where Masaomi and his group are escaped lab experiments.</p><p>While Anri attempts to help Celty,  and avenge her parents.</p><p>And Mikado is the leader of a group of "merchants" that specialize in magical items.</p><p>Where the three of them(groups included) all clash over a dullahan's head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I thought this would flow better with Mikado starting it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dollars decide to steal from Heaven's Slave to make a point. While doing so they encounter someone unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just thought it would flow better with Mikado's POV being the first chapter. Also when I first put this up, there were some issues. Hopefully everything is fixed by now.

       “Are you’re trying to argue that Lelouch was worse than Light? Not sure if I agree with you there Yumacchi, Light was way worse!” Erika protested as she picked the lock.

  
        “Lelouch killed members of his own family!”  
        “Yeah but his entire family was evil-“  
        “You guys!” Mikado groaned, rubbing his temples. He was at their main base, his fingers simply resting on the keys for a moment. Aoba sat next to him, the younger man managing to somehow look both mildly interested and bored at once.  
        “I understand that this conversation is important to you, but can’t it wait?”  
        “Yeah no problem!” Erika responded.

        “Sorry boss!” Walker added with a snicker, and Mikado couldn’t help the unease that washed over him. Even after four years of this, he still wasn’t comfortable with the title. Despite his position as leader of the Dollars undebatable, although Aoba aided him with planning. Kadota scouted the locations of their next heists, while Erika and Walker usually then carried them out. They started off so small, taking so-called magical items from museums. He remembered being so shocked at how simple it was. And his subsequent efforts to suppress how good it felt, how alive he was. Originally it was going to be a one-time thing; he was just going to try it. Relatively speaking, it was both amazing and terrifying, how much his life it now occupied.

     Things were different now. Initially the jobs would leave him with a pounding heart and sweat on one hand. Now as their technique improved, things got smoother. And the thing was, he _liked it_ that way, he really did. Smoother jobs meant lower risks, greater assurance that his party would come back unharmed. His partners welcomed the familiarity with complacency, content with the newfound simplicity of the job. And the thing was, he _understood_ that, really he did. It made sense, afterall it made their lives easier. The paycheck without the danger. Unfortunately, Mikado was painfully different from them in that aspect. For him, when a task was so mastered that it could be called “easy”, it eventually would become as mundane as housework. Even now, he could feel himself getting settled in a routine and he hated it.

     And that was his very fear. That stealing and exploring new trinkets would become as bland as washing dishes. The realization that said process had already begun was both exciting and terrifying. Terrifying because of what the future could hold, but exciting for the very same reasons. Despite his attempts to keep this to himself, he had a strong suspicion that Aoba was somehow aware of this. When Mikado’s interest waivered, his partner would suggest more dangerous jobs. Or choose unusual targets or clients, like the one Erika and Walker had just broken into.

Heaven Slave’s was a group that was very similar to theirs, except with a penchant for murder. The Dollars had associated with them during multiple jobs, and on occasion they worked together. That changed when they discovered that the group pocketed more than their agreed share.

      “Do you think anyone’s still here?”  
      “Probably, they’d be dumber than we thought to leave their merchandise unattended too. Afterall, we can’t be the first group that wanted to rob them.” He said quietly as they walked through the warehouse.

      “There’s no one there. I checked.” Mikado responded.  
      “Mikado! How many boxes are we taking from them? I suggest all of them!” Erika whispered as she opened the box. Mikado watched them from the surveillance cameras, palm against cheek.  
     “Not all, we’re leaving a message, not making a threat. We just want to make a point-“  
     “If we want to make a point, then shouldn’t it be a strong one? One that they will never forget?” Aoba asked with a pleasant smile.

     “Well, more than one box-“  
     “Well obviously.” Aoba responded as they watched Erika pull down crates. She opened the biggest one with a smirk. Then van drove into view, and parked right outside of the warehouse.  
     “Who the fuck is that? Another guard?” Aoba whispered, eyes narrowed as a young woman left the van with…a werewolf?

    “What the fuck is that? Unless….” Aoba whispered as an unconscious smile pulled at Mikado’s lips.

    “They’re back. Saika is back and they have gasoline.” He breathed. Although the group was officially nameless. They referred to the gang by the name of leader’s weapon. Saika. The demon sword. “Them again?” She exclaimed as she drew her tranquilizer gun.  
   “Gas? Can’t say that I don’t respect their style,” Walker murmured as the two entered the building. “Ready,” She whispered before she shot the werewolf. Two times to be exact, the third happening after the first two failed. Erika blinked slowly before she fired shots into the guard as well. Mikado could feel his heart pounding as he and Aoba leaned forward. He could see his teammate’s shocked expressions as the guard sighed.

   “Oh no, mother won’t be happy about this.” He whispered  
That was when they realized that his eyes were bright red.  
   “Wow,” Mikado whispered, leaning closer to the screen.  
   “Mikado?” Erika whispered.  
   “Run!”

The word barely left his mouth before the wolf pounced on her. The sound of the dart gun being pulled repeatedly filled the air as Walker slammed his rings together. Flames burst from his hands and covered both of them in fire. The wolf immediately pulled away, lips pulled back in a snarl as Erika rose to her feet. She was unharmed thanks to the invulnerability provided by her clothing. “Who the fuck are they?” Aoba whispered as Mikado focused the camera on their faces. He made sure to get pictures of the guard and the….werewolf for later use.

   “It’s makeup.”  
   “What?”  
   “Remember how last time it was Dracula? That’s not a werewolf. Whoever or whatever that is, is wearing makeup.” Mikado explained as Walker clapped his hands together. Small flames danced along his fingers as he pointed at the werewolf.

   “Alright wolf, not sure if you can talk, but I have a fairly straightforward question. Who are you?” Walker demanded.  
   “Yeah! And why the hell did you attack us?” Erika added as the wolf picked up the container of gasoline. In one quick motion, she dosed both of them completely and Walker caught aflame. Erika pulled him into her arms immediately, the magic extinguishing the flames.

   “No more fire for you.” The wolf’s voice was female, and it leaned forward with a sneer. _Fuck_ Mikado bit his lip as the camera feed was overcome with static. Just like what happened the last time Saika attacked.When it stabilized, there was a young woman standing on the tallest crate. Slight build, large breasts, glasses and red eyes. Just like the guard. She was dressed similarly to Erika, with the main difference being the coloring. Their leader, now if only they knew her name.

_Where's her sword?_ Mikado wondered.

   “We’re here to burn the merchandise.” The girl spoke quietly, but with certain authority. She was sure of herself, he noted the confidence in her stance despite being unarmed. He wondered if she and the guard were related, or if red eyes were a characteristic of this group. Or if she somehow “infected” the guard with whatever made her eyes red.  
  “Well we only need a few boxes-“  
  “No. Everything must burn. You’re not supposed to be here. Leave immediately,” She ordered.  
  “Last time I checked you weren’t our boss, nice rack or not. We leave when we want to.” Erika vocalized, stepping in front of Walker as the girl slammed her palms together.  
  “I’m afraid,” She began as she separated them inch by inch, revealing steel.

  “I can’t accept that as an answer.” She responded as she jumped down from the crates. Her approach was slow, and the wolf imitated her, as the two slowly cornered both Erika and Walker. Erika fired her weapon once more, but the girl sliced through the darts with lightning precision.  
  “Calm down, Kadota is due to arrive any moment now.” Aoba said, not glancing away from the screen.

  “You can still back down. We have no desire to hurt you.” The girl said clearly and Erika scoffed. “Yeah we can tell by your decision to douse us in gasoline!” She exclaimed, her voice ultimately encompassed by the sound of burning tires.  
Drywall fly through the air as van smashed through the wall. The girl and the wolf both threw themselves out of the way as Kadota stepped out of the van. Walker and Erika started to load crates as he slammed his palms against the ground. Immediately ice shot out of the concrete, crashing into the ceiling and walling them off.  
    “Try getting past that. Togusa! Time to move!” He ordered, as he jumped back inside the van with a smirk. Sobaru backed the car out of the building and they drove away.

    “Hey, Mikado! Do you know who those guys were?”  
Aoba asked “Do you mean as individuals? Not yet.” He said as he took a picture of the girl, before he exited the camera feed. Last time they ran before he could get a good picture but this time.....His fingers flew over the keys as he checked databases. His programs that specialized in facial recognition failed, and no records came up. He then cross-searched it with many others, biting his lip as his eyes remained glued to the screen. Even when the others came back, he was still searching for her—them. Surprisingly, Aoba didn’t leave, but instead watched him with mild interest.

    “Did you find anything?” Aoba finally asked, after hours of silence.  
    “Ugh not yet no, just more dead ends. People know of Saika, sure. But the actual members? Everyone is just as clueless as we are." Mikado answered distantly.  
    “Shame, but hey, at the very least you’re having fun.” Aoba said pleasantly and that made Mikado pause. One, because Aoba being pleasant was never a good thing. And two, because of the very nature of the comment.  
    “What do you mean? I’m not excited,” He stammered.  
    “Then why are you smiling?” Aoba asked him, a light smile on the younger male’s lips.

It was the same remark he made at the end of their first heist. When it was just the two of them and stolen goods. Abruptly, he was in the past, overwhelmed with the immorality of committing a crime. But simmering just beneath the surface, was an indefinite feeling of pride. Triumph, even. Because despite everything else, despite how wrong it was, he got away with it.

It was hard to believe how all of this had originally started. With a note tacked on the back of his math book. Are you bored with your life?

It was certainly odd, he left his books behind at school all the time but he rarely found messages on them. And definitely not instructions on how to rob a museum.  
“Anyway, I didn’t manage to find anything on the girl. The werewolf however, well,” Aoba dropped a file onto Mikado’s desk.  
“She’s a serial killer named Hollywood.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have much more Anri and Mikado

Five days later

“Just think about all the hot girls that await us outside! It’s been what, years since we’ve been out of the compound? The chances of Ikebukuro being overpopulated with hot girls has to be insanely high!”  
Masaomi said, before inwardly cringing at his own joke. God that was bad, a new level of bad, even for him. But he had to try something to deal with the atmosphere inside of their van. Their entire group was tense, Tom was deathly quiet, while Shizuo’s angry heaving was accompanied by Rio’s shaky breathing. With the faint sound of Vorona mechanically reloading their firearms in the back of the van. Chikage was in the seat beside him, silent for once, expression grave.

 

“If by “insanely high”, you mean no chance at all, then that’s probably accurate. We’ve haven’t been gone for that long.” It was Rio who responded, her voice cracking.  
“A lot can change in a decade Rio. Things will be different, that’s just something we’ll have to accept."

 

"That doesn’t change how much we deserve to be there. We don’t belong in cages.” Chicage responded, as he pulled his fedora down fully.  
“They should have been in fucking cages! Fuck!” Shizuo snarled behind him. Masaomi hit the brakes when the sound of muffled impact reached his ears. The force of Shizuo hitting one of Tom’s barriers shook the entire van and Masaomi hit the brakes immediately.

 

“He’s fine. Everything’s fine.” Tom said immediately, Masaomi was glad that they were in an abandoned highway. It was much easier to contain Shizuo in this kind of environment, especially when he was so on edge. Not only was she gone, but Kasuka had insisted on grabbing a second van and more supplies.

 

Masaomi hadn’t wanted to let the younger Heiwajima leave, but he couldn’t fault the logic behind his actions. They needed to take everything they could get, and Kasuka’s nigh invulnerability made him the best candidate. They were all very difficult to kill, but Kasuka’s abilities bordered on immortality.

“I know, but we don’t know where they put her. We’ve already done a number on their troops. And none of us are up for killing even more people-“  
“I am!” Vorona responded from the back.  
“ _Most_ of us don’t want to kill anyone else. And even less of us want to risk dying. We need to keep moving forward, reach our temporary base, and make plans to exit the city. That was the plan that we all made together, and we have to stick to it. We will get her back.” Masaomi said firmly. There was no other way to say it, losing Saki forever was out of the question.  
“He’s right Shizuo, we don’t even know where she is.” Tom reminded him.

Masaomi could remember every single fantasy he had about escape from the moment he was taken. Even when the hours turned into days, and the days became years, he never stopped imagining. He thought about how he would lose himself in the breeze against his skin. Imagined squinting at the sunlight before he crumbled to the floor laughing. He expected joy, but even as the building gets farther……it’s like they never left. The van certainly didn’t help things. But they would find Saki, they had the head.

Sure he didn’t know how to activate it, but he would find a way. He had to. Finally Kasuka drove up next to them in a van, and Masaomi hit the brakes. Relief filling his lungs.  
“Finally, we were getting worried. Did you run into any trouble?” Masaomi asked, before he spotted the bullet wounds that marked his torso. The sudden intake of breath was automatic. He knew that Kasuka was okay, but still the sight of him--

“No.” He said quietly, voice betraying no emotion. Something that was typical of Shizuo's brother.  
Masaomi couldn't help at the familiarity of it. And for one moment, it was almost like his world wasn't falling to pieces. “What happened to your shirt?” Shizuo asked, voice growing in volume.

“Probably guards, but you can lose it later. We’ll meet up at the location we specified with the Awakusu, alright? Tom go with him. Both of you two need to scope it out for us, if they've betrayed us, use the flare guns. Vorona we could need you in the front." Right now, the best solution was for them to split up. That way all of them wouldn't be recaptured.

 

After Kasuka drove off, Masaomi pushed the gas pedal once more. The next highway they entered was far from abandoned, not exactly crammed either but traffic was going slowly.  
“Are you kidding me?” He groaned, and honked his horn irritably. Rio snorted in the back.  
“And you were telling Shizuo to calm down.”  
“Completely different things! He turned into the hulk in the back seat! I just want these people to drive faster,” He muttered, and hit the horn once more for good measure. Although he certainly knew that Shizuo was right, this amount of irritability couldn’t help much in the long run. He needed to calm his nerves, they just needed to get to the safe house. Right. Still, he never dealt with boredom very well.

He pulled two phones from his pockets and placed them on the dashboard. They had stolen a few for the purpose of misleading nebula when they came after them.

He had been able to crack two of the three ones he assigned himself. But the last one was a real pain in his ass, especially when so much of his concentration was needed. He closed his eyes as he felt the familiar buzz under his skin. Generally, he could generate a current without much effort, but actively hiding a phone signal was more difficult. He groaned as a headache came, tapping his fingers on his forehead. “Masaomi?” Rio asked as she peered over the seat.

“I’m fine! Just, we need to get as much information as we can from these phones before we toss them.  
We can’t risk missing anything important. “ Masaomi replied as he tried to crack the code. Although he couldn’t force the phone to open (read:yet), he could keep it from locking him out. He could also scramble it signals while attempting to get inside.

“She just wants you to be careful. Don’t overdo it.” Chicage advised.  
“Maybe, one, two, three, four, five? Please?” He said carefully as he punched in the numbers.  
Immediately, the lock screen cleared, and he was looking a variety of icons.  
“It worked!”  
“That was actually the code?” Chicage commented, squinting as he leaned over. They both froze as the message app was activated and a text was written.  
  
**{ Um no actually. I hacked it.}** The message appeared on the screen in moments.

“Turn off the phone!” Rio exclaimed from the backseat.  
“ _Ja._ It’s a trap.” Vorona agreed.

 

**{No! Don’t turn off the phone! We just want to talk}**

“Who the fuck is we?” Masaomi questioned aloud, his finger reaching for the power button.  
“Masaomi! Deal with that later, there’s something up ahead.” Chicage said urgently and Masaomi  
brought his gaze up. There was a figure throwing itself through the air, jumping from car to car. It’s skin seemed to be almost green, no it _was_ green. The figure was quickly getting closer and that much he could be sure of.

“What is that?” Masaomi groaned as it got closer.  
“A monster?” Chicage whispered as the creature landed a car ahead of them.  
“Rio! Wake them up. Tell them we might have to fight. Tell Vorona to get on the roof.” Masaomi told Rio, as his phone beeped once more.  


**{We don’t have much time. We can help you.}**

“I can’t blame you for wanting to help such a good looking fellow such as myself, but I don’t take candy  
from strangers. So who is we? Unless that’s your outrageously lame name! And help us with what?”

Masaomi questioned the…..cellphone?  
“What’s going on?” Rio asked.  
“We might have to fight. We’re being attacked…..by Frankenstein?” Masaomi asked aloud.  
“Who?”  
“It’s a western monster-“ He broke off when the creature landed on the car in front of him.

 **{ Not actually. It’s Hollywood, she’s there for the merchandise** }

  
Masaomi grimaced as he looked back up at the monster--Hollywood---Frankenstein. His mind was absolutely swarming with questions. How much did Frankenstein know about them? And who was the person on the phone? _How-_  
“Okay, well we’re terribly grateful to know its name. Regardless we have it covered.” Masaomi said as he drew his pistol.

Sure enough his phone vibrated once more with a new message.

 

 **{Guns won’t be enough. You should know that. We can help you. But first you have to enable tracking.** }  
Masaomi stilled, scowling slightly, what did he mean by that? Was this another experiment? Like them?

“That sounds really nice and all. But I don’t become bffs with strangers, so…..”

 **{We’re a group of merchants, we call ourselves The Dollars.}**  
“You’re not Nebula?” Rio interrupted, and Masaomi shushed her. It was too late regardless.  
This response was quick, but it came in fragments.

 **{You’re not Nebula? That explains why everyone in the compound was either incapacitated or _ ****dead! Who are you?_** }

There was something off putting about the exchange. The tone seemed far from horrified, but instead _interested_ , excited even. Especially when referring to death. Then Frankenstein landed on the hood of the car and Masaomi jerked his arm up, he had the perfect shot-Until Chicage grabbed his wrist, his hot flesh searing Masaomi’s and the blonde jerked away.

 

“No, no! Are you kidding me? Chicage we don’t have time for this, I like cute girls too-“  
“Enough to shoot them. What kind of man are you?” The redhead snapped, smoke rising from him. He should have anticipated this, afterall there was a reason that no female was harmed during their escape.  
Still.

 

“Are you nuts? Chick or not, she tried to kill you!“ He’s interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. His ears ringing as a green hand grabs Chicage by his neck. He doesn’t think twice before firing several rounds into it’s chest. The entire encounter happens so fast, and the creature---Hollywood---takes the first two without flinching. It was the third, fourth and fifth rounds that finally forced her to stop. The frightening part of this situation was that Masaomi didn’t even use normal bullets. The compound used several different types to effectively neutralize all experiments. Normal bullets only went so far with them.

Chicage gasped when she finally let him go, falling off the car hood. The moment he caught his breath he lunged for Masaomi, hands gripping the blonde’s shirt. Masaomi punched him almost reflexively, more concerned with watching the green monster that just attacked him.

 

 **  
** **{We can still help you. Just give us the head.}**  
“Yeah, sorry but that’s not happening.” Masaomi responded.  
“Masaomi, I can not take the shot if you and Chicage are in the way. It creates uncomfortable risks.”  
Vorona responded, accent heavy.  
“Did you shoot her?” Chicage demanded it wasn’t really a question. The inside of the van was becoming warm very quickly.  
“Of course I did! Are you crazy!” Masaomi snapped back at him, momentarily losing his temper .  
“We don’t hurt women—“  
“ _Chicage,_ we’re not even sure if that was human!”  
“What difference does that make? We’re not even human.”  
“Yes we are! And even if it was a girl, it was trying to kill you!” Masaomi said angrily. Fast. Everything was happening way to fast, he needed time to make a decision.

 

“What if you killed her? And call Vorona off right now!” Chicage demanded, as a green hand appeared on the hood once more. "I'm guessing your help isn't free." Masaomi muttered, although he was willing to compromise. Mostly because he wasn't sure if they could fight that thing. The phone vibrated on his lap, and Masaomi cursed when he read the reply.

**{Well no. Give us the head and we'll keep you safe. A fair trade, I doubt the head is a necessity.}**

_ugh, damn it._ immediately Saki came to mind, and he gripped the phone.

"You're wrong." he whispered before he used his powers to turn the phone off. They were on their own. When he glanced back up, the thing had lifted it’s head, Masaomi actually made eye contact. They were impossibly dark, feminine, and the only human feature on the thing. Her entire front was soaked in blood, yet she was able to dodge Vorona’s next shot. She threw a rock through the broken window, and Vorona rolled out of the way.

 

Her hand smashed through the glass once more, this time grabbing Masaomi. He could faintly hear Rio screaming in the background as Frankenstein pressed his own pistol to his skull.  
_She’s so fast._  
“Move and he dies.” It’s voice confirmed that it was indeed a woman. It was cold, emotion completely removed. He wondered what kind of person would go through the trouble of disguising themselves to the point of obscuring gender, only to reveal themselves through their voice.  
_Someone who doesn’t intend on letting us live_

 

She was here to kill them.

He immediately grabbed her arm, and turned her into a conductor for electricity. She let out of sharp scream before she tore herself away from him. Then abruptly rolled through the window, and jumped over the railing.

 

“Is she dead?”Rio asked.

“That is something I am hopeful of. Unfortunately, I doubt that we have earned such luck.” Vorona responded as Masaomi tenderly touched his neck, wincing. It was definitely bruised. Then he punched Chicage in the face, not caring about the burn left behind on his knuckles.

 

“Listen, I like cute girls as much as you do. But not enough to let one of them kill me, or you.” Masaomi said firmly.

 

“Just tell me, is this what we’re going to be now? Scumbags that hurt females?”  
“If they attack us, then yes. All we have to do is defend ourselves, nobody has to die.” Masaomi said.

“I remember you saying the same thing about our escape from the compound. Things didn’t go according to plan.” Chicage responded gravely and Masaomi’s eyes met his.  
“Nobody _had_ to die. They forced our hand.” Masaomi said quietly. He was surprised at how confident he sounded, because he himself had doubts. He never wanted anyone to die, but the turn of events seemed almost inevitable. The fight that happened hours ago kept replaying itself in his head. Haunting him. Everyone in this van was either a murder, an accomplice or both, and it was because of him.  
“We have to get going, but it can’t be in this van.” He added, eyes flitting to a large moving truck that had swerved off the road.  
“Vorona we need that truck.” He said with sigh, completely exhausted, thankfully he didn’t have to repeat himself. The blonde woman quickly exited the car, and pulled her gun on the vehicle’s owner.

After he ran off, the rest came over and piled into the van. He winced at the heavy atmosphere, but decided to counteract it by turning up the music. On the bright side,the highway was much clearer. Most of the cars had swerved off the road in an attempt to avoid Frankenstein, while the people who wanted to observe did so on foot. So there wasn’t much preventing him from flooring the gas pedal and speeding through the highway. The highway was clear, if only he could say the same for his head.

****************

Ruri could hear her blood pumping in her ears, her heart beating in her chest. It was the first time in a long time that she felt fear. With this makeup, she had turned her fear and anger into a weapon. She was the killer Hollywood, someone who rarely, if ever failed. She had been sent to kill the remaining members of Nebula and retrieve the head. And she encountered something that wasn’t human, that was a monster, like her. Ruri kept running until cars were something she left behind miles ago, and the only company she had was hard rock. The canyon, their current meeting place.

 

"Ruri?” She jumped away, and attacked immediately, heart in her stomach. Her attack was blocked by the flat side of a katana, by the _Saika_ blade. Anri Sonohara’s resultant expression was one of concern instead of fear or anger. Celty materialized beside the other girl in moments, her phone already drawn. These two were monsters, just like her, but much closer to  
her than most.

 

**[Did you get it?]**

 

“No. I failed. They shot me with something, I’m not sure what. But it had a much greater effect on me than regular bullets.” She was healing faster than a human sure, but her chest still hurt. So she hadn’t recovered completely. She carefully touched her wounds, wincing at times. What exactly did they shoot her with?

 

“Sorry I’m late!” Akane shouted as she ran to meet them, panting. The other two nodded at her as Celty typed.

 

**[I’m sorry you got hurt, I never wanted that to happen.]**

She thought back to the scene she had discovered during her initial break in. Ruri expected guns and guards, but all she found were corpses and shaken survivors. The condition of the room hadn’t been much better either.

 

“I think we need to look into what happened at Nebula. It’s entirely possible that the Dollars got there first.”

“That wouldn’t be good! We need to be careful about them. They have so many resources—“ Akane paused when Anri put a hand on her shoulder. A kind smile was on the older girl’s face, but it was a sharp contrast to her eyes. They had changed from dark brown to a crimson red sometime during their conversation.

 

“I wouldn’t worry, we just were caught off guard. Lesson learned.” Anri said gently.  
“Because in the end, it doesn’t matter how many weapons they have. They’re still no match for us.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A clash in a very mysterious hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK.
> 
> This is not a dead fic, I am just negligent. Forgive me for this grave sin >.>
> 
> Also, I need a beta ^.^. Another thing, comments mean the actual world to me and they help me figure out what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong, so please leave some <3
> 
> Anyhoo, onto the fic.

       Anri sat on her apartment floor with an polite smile on her face. Her persona was the epitome of serenity, and the state of her home matched it. Everything was neat and organized, not one pen out of place. The blue walls gave her a feeling of serenity she hoped to replicate. But on the inside, she could feel parts of herself falling out of place. Objectively, she knew that their situation wasn’t dire. Ruri was the only one of them that was injured and she was recovering relatively quickly. Whatever was in those bullets………

 

      They had been in much worse situations before. Celty was fine, Akane was fine, Anri was fine, but things didn’t feel fine. Despite her rousing speech, what happened had confirmed some of her fears. _My resolve isn’t strong enough for this._ There were many other ways that the acquisition of Celty’s head could have happened. Ways that would have involved less risk and more results. But they involved Saika, and adding another person under her control. **{** **_One more person. What is one more person? Especially for Celty’s head?}_ **

 

      Sometimes her own thoughts didn’t sound like hers. Sometimes she feared that the dividing line between her and Saika was disappearing. Her relationship with Saika was truly that of a parasite. She needed Saika to be able to love, because Anri herself was incapable of it. That didn’t mean that she couldn’t care for others, but opening her heart to people…..

 

       It just wasn’t something that could happen. But through Saika, perhaps it wouldn’t be something that was missing in her life. _Parasite._ Parasitic could describe most of her current relationships. She needed Ruri and Akane because they had a ruthlessness she did not possess.  She needed Celty because she was, ironically, the most balanced out of all of them. In addition she, like Anri, was missing something most people considered to be vital to humanity. Although in truth, they were all missing something. But maybe Anri was too incomplete to serve as their leader. She viewed herself as the safe choice because she wasn’t as ruthless as either Ruri or Akane.

 

**_{But maybe it was time to be? How much do we deserve peace? How many values will I sacrifice in order to get it? Next time, should I cut a member of Nebula?}_ **

      Anri rose to grab a glass of water to combat her unease. She needed to decompress to calm down. She drank the water slowly, her mind moving at quite the quick pace. Nebula had to be destroyed. This was a fact she accepted upon the inception of their group. Their involvement had destroyed Akane’s family, taken years of Ruri’s life away from her, and stolen Celty’s head. **_Just one more person. Let me love them for you._ ** _Or you could let me love your friend. Imagine how much safer Akane could be with me--_

      Anri swallowed hard as she attempted to quell the unease within her. For some reason Saika seemed louder, her words more insistent. She slammed the glass onto the counter with a heavy exhale. Why did she feel like things were getting worse? And worse yet--

 

      Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a doorbell. She opened it to reveal a young woman with glowing red eyes.

     “Mother, I found them.” She said reverently, and Anri felt the pieces inside of her start to fit again. If only for a moment.

* * *

 

 

**An hour earlier**

 

      “Masaomi, wake up!”

      “He can sleep at a time like this?” Another person said incredulously.

      “It’s been a long two days. Perhaps you should sleep too Shizuo?” A calmer voice suggested as Masaomi came to.

 

      “Jesus! Is there really a need to yell that loud?” Masaomi complained as he sat up.

      “Is there a fire? Are we under attack? Do you three hate sleep? Where is everyone else?”  He asked, rubbing his eyes as he wondered just exactly how long he’d been sleep for.

      “You’ve been passed out for fourteen hours, and they got worried. Rio, Vorona, and Tom are downstairs.” Kasuka said quietly. Masaomi nodded, and cleared his throat.

 

      “Has there been any trouble?” He asked, concealing his real question with a much nicer one. _Did we have to kill anyone else?_ He was truly eager to drop this role of leader. Simultaneously, he dreaded pushing this off on anyone else. Out of their--- _what was this? Group?_ \---- the two people that seemed the best suited for this role were Tom and Chikage. He didn’t know the former very well at all, and that certainly didn’t warm him to the idea. And if their earlier clash with Hollywood was anything to by, Chikage could be downright irrational when it came to women.  So that left him. The only saving grace about this situation was that they got away. Nebula still hadn’t found them and they were able to shake off hollywood. That honestly just left the Dollars to worry about. Regardless, it wasn’t like they planned on staying.

 

       “Shizuo, Kasuka, Tell the others to eat and then to start getting ready to bounce. We can’t stay here for much longer.” He ordered.

       “How long do they have to get ready?” Shizuo asked lazily as the two men got to their feet. Masaomi frowned as he contemplated the question. _How long should they stay? How long could they afford to stay?_ How long would it even take for Hollywood or Nebula to find them? Or the Dollars? And would it matter who reached them first?

       “Twenty minutes.” Masaomi answered as he extended his hand towards Chikage.

       “Give me my phone. We have a ransom call to make for this head.” He said as he jerked his thumb towards the _thing_ they brought back with him. It was insane to think that this was honestly just the tip of the iceberg for them. They had already stolen from an international “pharmaceutical” company that moonlighted in human trafficking. Now they were going to demand ransom.

 

 _Shit just keeps getting deeper. Do we have to worry about recapture or death at this point?_ But really, how else were they going to get Saki back? At this point, they were shit out of both luck and options. This was a gamble and it was time to go all in.

 

He dialed the number and the phone was answered immediately.

      “Masaomi?” This was one of the few times in which a female voice was unwelcome.

      “Namie, what’s good? Miss us already, because I have been missing you.” _And Saki._

      “Where’s the head?” Was her blunt response, and he was reminded that Namie didn’t like games. Or rather, she only liked games that she could control.

      “Where’s Saki?”

      “Alive, for now. But that could change if you don’t hand over the head.”

      “Could? When did you become so nice Namie?”

      “Will.”

      “That’s the woman I know. Is this head indestructible? And if yes, _are you sure?”_ He asked and there was a long silence on the other end.

      “Do you want to decide on a rendezvous point?” She asked.

      “Have any in mind? Preferably a public place?”

      “How do you feel about malls?”

      “Maybe. I’ll call you back when I make up my mind. Bye.” He said and hung up.

      “Tell the others it’s time to go.” Masaomi said as Chikage went to leave.

 

* * *

       Magic was a wonderful thing but the same couldn’t be said for bell boy uniforms. Or this seedy motel, with it’s dull walls, hardwood floors and rather suspicious lack of windows. It was rapidly becoming clear to him that this place wasn’t frequented by normal clients. That understanding was coupled with building adrenaline, fear and something else. How long had his last field operation been? Too long, seemed to be his body’s consensus. _Still,_ he grimaced down at the bellboy uniform. _Some things just couldn’t be necessary._

 

      “What’s wrong with just checking into the hotel again? Why can’t we just leave fake names?” Mikado complained as he grimaced at his reflection. It was an unpleasant reminder of just how dull his life could have been.

 

      “Which uniform brings out my eyes more?” Aoba asked conversationally. In each hand was a maid uniform, and he placed each one in front of him for varying periods of time.

       “The blue or the black?” he asked.

      “That joke isn’t funny Aoba.”

      “Not _true._ Fake names could leave a trail back to us. How many people do you think scam high end hotels like this?” Aoba asked with an innocent smile as he put the uniforms down.

      “I get it, not enough. I just don’t like these uniforms. ” Mikado admitted.

      “You’re the one who wanted to come Mikado-sempai.” Aoba reminded him cheerily.

      “You’re not wearing a uniform.” He observed.

      “I’m not pretending to be an employee. I’m the rogue that will break into the hotel and start a horrid commotion.” he said as his gaze strayed.

      “Besides, maybe Saika likes bell boys.”

 

He teased as beckoned Mikado over. Together both men watched the bespeckled woman enter the hotel. Mikado could hardly believe his eyes. They actually found her? That quickly?

 

      “Is it really her?” Mikado asked as he leaned closer to the opening.

      “I guess that means that we’re in the right place. I wonder where all of her little friends are.” Aoba murmured as he pulled his hood over his head. Erika’s one piece was a big large for him, but knowing him, Aoba would use it to his advantage.

 

      “Boss, are we splitting now? Are you sure that you want to distract Saika by yourself?” He asked as he slipped his gloves onto his hands. Mikado mirrored his actions, surprised at how easily he had almost forgotten to do so. He wasn’t used to using the magical items they stored. Or to using weapons in general, although he definitely knew how to use them. During the years he and Aoba had spent with just each other, it was a necessary.  He very rarely put himself out on the front lines like this. If he were being honest with himself, it was because he hoped to run into her personally. He had so many questions to ask her, because although Mikado wasn’t normal by any means….

 

       She was different. He had never seen anything like her before. Especially considering everything he learned about Saika. Most people infected by Saika cut anyone unfortunate enough to encounter them. They had a single-minded focus on spreading the disease. They didn’t steal magical artifacts from storage houses. And when she fought Erika and Walker, her slashes were meant to hurt not to infect. She was abnormal, even for a wielder of Saika.

 

       “Remember, fire alarm.” Aoba reminded him, breaking Mikado out of his reverie. The older boy nodded, remembering this signal.

       “Thanks for getting me this close.” He said a bit sheepishly as Aoba nodded, and pulled his hood over his head. As he sauntered out, Mikado watched the young woman make her way across the lobby. How would he talk to her? _Hey, you stole something before I could and we’ve been obsessed with tracking you down, want to chat?_ He shook his head as he hands gripped the luggage cart. How exactly was he supposed to approach her without scaring her away? As he pondered this question, the answer came in the form of a stranger.

 

        The man was wearing a large coat, and trailing behind the young woman. Mikado noticed however, that he was closing the distance between them. Rapidly. Without thinking, he started to push the luggage cart towards the pair.  The area was crowded, contributing to Saika’s unawareness of the man behind her. People moved out of Mikado’s way as he came closer with the cart. Then he saw the man remove something from his pocket. Mikado’s hurried walk became a full on run.

       “Oncoming luggage! Please move out the way!” he called as he hit the man with his cart, knocking him over. Saika turned just as the man dropped the object, and all three pairs of eyes focused on it. _A syringe. Nebula._ He grabbed Saika’s hand and pulled her out of the lobby into a random room, closing the door securely.

 

       “Um, thanks---you didn’t have to do that. I should pay more attention,” She apologized.

       “No, really it wasn’t a problem at all! I’m just happy to be able to help someone,” He stammered in response, face quickly becoming flushed. _Honestly, out of everything that I expected Saika to be like, this wasn’t it._ He thought as he analyzed the woman in front of him. Her eyes were a far cry from the crimson red in the camera, but a rich brown instead. She seemed far less than the monster of his dreams, and closer to a person.

 

        It was simultaneously comforting and disappointing. Still, he recognized that he had a decision to make. Was he going to reveal who he was? Or play along with as an oblivious stranger. Honestly, the choice was easier to make than it should’ve been.

       “Do you know why that guy attacked you?” Mikado asked..

       “I don’t, I’m sorry and I really have to go---” Saika responded. _She’s lying too._ He observed.

       “Shouldn’t we tell the manager? He’s a nice guy, I’m sure he’d help us find out who that guy was.” He quickly stammered, desperate for her not to leave. Because he had so many questions for her. Like _Are you actually able to control Saika? If so how? Are you actually the mother? Who are you?_

 

        “No, I don’t really have time,” She said, cutting off his lie. Then the lights went out.

 

* * *

_Not this again._ He could recognize the Nebula approach anywhere. _Cause a blackout, overwhelm their senses, catch them off guard---_ The sound of static broke him out of his reverie.

Static flowed through his hands, pushed forward by his nerves. He flexed his palms, focusing on his breathing as tried to control his abilities once more. _I can’t be reckless._ The charge he’d generated had been small, but Masaomi knew that he was capable of much more. His unease faded as Chikage lit a flame in his palms, illuminating the room. The older man seemed oblivious to Masaomi’s lapse of control, his eyes locked on the door.

 

      “They’re here, we have to go now.” He whispered as Masaomi got off the bed.

       “Probably. Let’s see if we can find the others,” He told the older male as he tried to quell the unease rising in his throat. Chikage opened the door and revealed a young man in a hoodie. He entered the room languidly, and ducked under Chikage’s extended arm.

       “Masaomi Kida? Chikage Rokujo?” he asked as he pulled down his hoodie. He looked young, like just graduated high school young. But something told Masaomi that this guy wasn’t much younger than himself. But more importantly, how the hell did he know their names?

       “You’re looking quite young to be a member of Nebula, I hope I’m wrong.” Chikage commented. The young man gave Chikage a sideways glance, then smiled innocently. It looked erie in the light cast by Chikage’s flames. Masaomi could feel the charge building in his hands.

 

       “Who me? Never, but we don’t want the same thing. Nebula and I.” The man responded and Masaomi generated a current to his hands. A fight was coming. He could feel it. _And to think, for one moment I felt like I was in control._

       “Who are you?”

       “Aoba, straight from the Dollars. Remember us?”

       “Oh, you’re the _other_ group that tried to manipulate us? Glad you cleared that up.” Masaomi commented as Chikage closed the door behind them. Aoba didn’t react and instead only slipped his hands into his pockets.

       “We _tried_ to help you, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. Nebula is here. So is Saika, and they’ll find you shortly. In fact,” The younger man brandished his cell phone and turned it on. In the light, dark blood stains became visible on his hood.

       “I dispatched a few on my way up here.” He said calmly as Masaomi felt his gut twist. He killed them, the implication was clear enough. _What kind of people were these guys?_

       “We don’t need a murderer.” Chikage said flatly.

       “Yes, yes you do. You need us as much as we need the head--”

       “You aren’t getting the head.” Masaomi stated flatly.

       “Why? Need it for something?” Aoba asked curiously, his dark blue eyes now locked on Masaomi’s face. The gaze was intense and searching but the older man did not flinch.

       “Don’t you?”

       “I doubt we need it for the same thing. I think you guys want to use it to bargain, and it’s not  a good idea--” Aoba was interrupted by the sound of Chikage’s laughter.

       “We never asked for your advice kid. And what do you even know about this?” The flame user asked, and Aoba shrugged nonchalantly.  

       “I know that they’ll kill you and take the head anyway.”

       “Know from experience?” Masaomi asked and Aoba snickered.

       “I’m not Nebula, I already told you that. Take a leap of faith, after all, I’ve already killed for you guys. We just want to help you out, but first I need to know why you guys need the head. Maybe we can  work something out.”  He suggested.

       “No thanks.”

       “Okay then, how about I take a guess. You guys want to barter the head for something, or is it someone?” Aoba asked, and the unease hit Masaomi in his gut.

       “Room service!” A voice called from outside and Aoba’s expression brightened.

       “That sounds like them.” Aoba whispered, and Masaomi waved him off, before moving closer. “Can you open the door? I’m carrying something and I could use a hand!” Masaomi called through the door. He made a movement with his hand, indicating that the other two should back up and waited. When the knob turned, Masaomi immediately grabbed it and sent generated a strong current of electricity.

 

On the other side of the door, he heard a sharp gasp and a collapse. Masaomi calmly opened the door, and stripped the unconscious man of his guns.

       “Yeah, I don’t think we need your help-” He broke off when someone stepped into his field of view. His bated breath turned into an exhale of relief when he recognized Rio.

       “It isn’t safe here, if anything Shizuo should’ve come back, not /you/.” Chikage hissed out as she held up her hands.

       “I never made it out! We got seperated and the lights went out--something’s going on downstairs! People have gotten hurt, I think they’re holding the entire lobby hostage to find us.” She stammered as her eyes widened a bit at Aoba’s blood stained hood.

       “Who is he?”

        “A friend-”

        “Nobody important., ignore him and maybe he’ll leave.” Masaomi snipped.

        “Yeah sorry, but I’m not leaving without the head.” He said evenly.

        “Chikage.” Masaomi said at the same moment, and just like that, the flame went out. And with it, the lights in the room.

 

Curses crept out of Kuronuma’s mouth as he quickly lit a match. But by the time the room was relit, they were long gone.

 

\----------------

 

       This was a bad situation. At least, that’s what Mikado told himself. But if his heartbeat coupled with the exhilaration was anything to go by, his body certainly did not agree. If he felt alive before, this was akin to be shot shock full of adrenaline. He could feel his lips twitching up into a smile and he was so glad that the lights were out. Saika’s hand was clasped in his as the two of them navigated the halls.

 

       He was pleasantly surprised that she was willing to help the civilian he was not. Especially since the sheer lack of windows made this hallway pitch black. Having a hand to hold onto made him feel more grounded than stumbling around blindly. Still, he was surprised that she was holding it.

 

Having a hand to hold onto made him feel more grounded than stumbling around blindly. Still, he was surprised that she was holding it.

 

          “So, my name’s Taro. You are?” He said awkwardly, as he led them ahead. His free hand idly flicked every light switch that he encountered. No luck.

          “............Anri.” She said reluctantly and Mikado briefly paused. Some part of him was surprised that she actually had one. Granted, he understood that most children of Saika were able to live mostly normal lives. But she was the _mother._ How much of her individuality was even intact? He wished that the halls weren’t so dark, he wanted to see her face. Not for the first time, Mikado wondered why this hotel lacked so many windows. Maybe they just weren’t worried about gathering long-term customers? Mikado removed his phone from his pocket and turned it on, using the light to guide them. That was one probably solved, but another one was rapidly becoming apparent. His head was hurting, and for some reason the pain struck him as distinctly suspicious. Maybe it was that he lacked a head injury or that he hadn’t had a migraine in years. Years as in a decade.

         “Anri, does your head hurt?” He asked as he slowed to a stop.

         “...how did you know that?”

         “Because mine does, something’s wrong. I think,” Mikado muttered, and pulled against her, forcing her to stop. His balance was thrown off, causing him to stumble into the hall. For the first time, their isolation struck him as strange. Not one curious soul had entered the hall.

 

         “Mikado? Are you alright?” Anri asked as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.There she was again, touching him. Mikado’s head was swimming as he rested it against his legs. The signs abruptly clicked together for him. _Gas. They were….._

         “No, I’m-” He stammered as he reached above himself, feeling for a fire alarm. He needed to alert Aoba….

         “Anri!” He gasped as he was lifted into the air, he wrapped his arms around her neck, slightly mortified. _Just how strong is she?_ Was his thought, just as she began running.

         “We need to get out of here!” She said urgently as his consciousness began to fade. He heard her pulling on doors locked doors, banging on others, her breathing heavy. He could recognize the panic in her actions, but in his veins were peace. He could sleep in her arms for nights on end.

 

         “Mikado!” Anri’s voice sounded distant, and he was so tired. He could barely keep his eyes open. He was distantly aware of being carried up the stairs, and Anri saying his name.

Then a light appeared at the top of the stairs, held in a pair of hands. It illuminated a face, young but tired, framed in blonde hair.

         “Hey,” Someone asked flippantly, as the light grew brighter, almost blinding Mikado.

         “Do you two need some help?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger, I just realized that this entire thing was getting way too long. Chapter 3 took forever because I had so much work to do IRL, and this chapter had to set up so much in terms of character dynamics. This is the result of a great many rewrites, and chapter 4 won't take nearly as long. A

**Author's Note:**

> A quick rundown of revealed abilities(Masaomi's group).
> 
> Masaomi-Electricity  
> Chicage-Fire  
> Shizuo-Super Strength  
> Kasuka-Invulnerability  
> Tom-Barriers and Shields


End file.
